Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Males: Madeline
Attuned to elevating West Coast USA pop – with a twist of power-pop in the manner of the close-harmony Shoes – this Dunedin duo here add an early single (the likably chipper, slightly New Wave So High) and last year's MalesMalesMales EP to a new EP Run Run Run.
The result is an economic nine-song collection of mostly brightly summertime pop cramming a lot of melodic hooks and guitar momentum into economic songs which only once stray past the three minute mark (the surging, radio-friendly Weakness).
If there's a problem it's the similarity of many songs up-front which are too short to establish their individuality.
That means on a cursory hearing only the Britpop-influenced All Up From Here later really stands out from the high energy pleasantries.
Repeat plays reveal more, notably how the newer material is more shimmering and the earlier songs have greater emotional urgency (Marion Bates Thievery and Off the Floor at the end).
Which raises the question: If the running order had been juggled would that have shone a flattering spotlight on the diversity and given this higher impact as a stand-alone album?
Use “random play” and this comes out better.
Save for summer.
Like the sound of this? Then try this. And maybe check out this article on power pop.
Jon - Nov 5, 2013
Nothing surprising about summery pop music coming from Dunedin Graham - the Chills even have a song titled 'Double Summer'. Of course they also have a song called 'Pink Frost', but that's another story and the Males album sounds great - thanks for highlighting it. GRAHAM REPLIES: True, and Heavenly Pop Hit has summer scrawled all over it. But, ah yes, "the Chills". Males is indeed very good, on random play even better.
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